


Rise To Me

by pennilesspoet



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Anxiety, Boys In Love, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 16:39:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19407217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennilesspoet/pseuds/pennilesspoet
Summary: On their way to get their marriage license, David and Patrick get stuck in an elevator, and one of them is a bit of a mess about it.





	Rise To Me

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written fanfiction in a long, long time, but these lovely characters (and this lovely fandom) has reawakened my creativity! If you like it (or if you don't) let me know - I have a few other ideas poking around in my brain, so we'll see how this goes. Thanks!

David wasn’t thrilled about the general state of the elevator in the first place.

They’re in an aging government building, so the rickety little elevator isn’t exactly a surprise. It’s a hot day, and sure, David didn’t need to wear this particular sweater out in this heat, but even if it wasn’t the middle of summer, he was never going to climb four flights of stairs, and Patrick knows this, even as he tries to convince David to do so.

“Honestly, the marriage license people should be on the first floor anyway,” David offers, as they step into the elevator. The door replies with a slow creak as it slides closed. Patrick hits the worn number ‘4’ button and moves to the back corner of the compartment but doesn’t say anything.

There is a low groan as the elevator lifts off of the ground, and David takes a deep breath. It’s probably fine. He’s been in worse elevators than this. He thinks. He looks over at Patrick, who is pressed against the opposite corner of the compartment, staring at his feet. He can’t possibly be  _ that _ mad that they didn’t take the stairs? David opens his mouth to ask but is interrupted by an ominous-sounding creak. The elevator comes to an abrupt stop - far too soon for them to be on the correct floor - but the doors don’t open. The lights flicker, and then nothing. It’s pitch black and silent.

“Okay...this is fine,” David mutters, more to himself than to Patrick. He feels the air shift as Patrick slides toward the button panel and begins slapping every button he can find.

“So this may have been a mistake,” David says, as Patrick’s button-pounding increases in frequency and intensity.

“Oh, ya think?” Patrick replies harshly. It’s the first thing he has said since they got into the elevator. He grunts as he hits the panel again.

“Okay, well again,  _ not my fault  _ that the marriage people are all the way up on the fourth floor!”

“It wasn’t that many stairs!” Patrick seems genuinely annoyed right now, which David hates, but he does appreciate the distraction. At least if they are arguing, he isn’t thinking about them hanging precariously by some wires inside a dilapidated elevator shaft.

“I was never going to climb four flights of stairs, Patrick!”

“So, what, if the elevator wasn’t here you would have just not married me then?”

“ _ What!? _ ” David wishes he could see Patrick’s expression. He must be joking, but sometimes David can’t tell until he sees the little smirk on his face.

“Well, we can’t get married without a license, and if you refuse to make a minimal effort to go  _ get _ the license-”

“Okay, I am going to stop you there, because I now don’t think you’re joking, which means you are being completely ridiculous,” David feels his face heat up as he speaks. Is this a real fight?  _ He _ didn’t break the elevator, and it wasn’t like there was a sign saying ‘don’t use this’! 

“You’re making an awfully big jump from me not wanting to walk up some stairs to me not wanting to get married, and frankly, it’s a little offensive.”

“Well, I find it offensive that we are stuck in this stupid box instead of safely on the ground!”

“What the fu- ... _ I _ didn’t break the elevator!”

“Just stop talking, okay!” Patrick’s voice cracks, taking the bite out of his words. David strains to see his fiance’s face, but it’s completely dark. In the silence, he can hear Patrick’s labored, uneven breathing and it finally hits him; Patrick is lashing out because he is scared.

They are silent for several seconds. David listens to the cadence of Patrick’s breaths, hoping to hear them even out. Before he can come up with something to say, Patrick speaks.

“I’m...sorry, David. I know this isn’t your fault. I just-”

“Don’t like elevators?” David guesses. He takes a small step forward.

“It’s more the...space. And being...being trapped,” Patrick’s voice is shaky, breaking again on the last word, and this propels David toward him. He pulls Patrick forward, surprised when he meets resistance from the shorter man.

“I just...I need to keep my back to the wall,” Patrick whispers, so David readjusts, carefully wrapping his arms around Patrick’s shoulders while keeping him close to the wall. After a moment, Patrick’s arms wind around his waist, and David can feel damp breath along his collar as Patrick lets out a deep, shaky breath.

It’s odd, experiencing this small role reversal. Patrick has talked David through several panic attacks, and has effortlessly been able to work through David’s general anxiety using a patented combination of comfort and light mocking. He is rarely on the other side of things, but finds that dealing with Patrick’s unease has kept his own nervousness about their situation at bay.

They stand in silence for several minutes, Patrick’s breathing finally evening out a bit.

“I’m sorry,” Patrick whispers into his shoulder, “I didn’t mean to-”

“Don’t you dare apologize,” David whispers over him. He tightens his hold and feels Patrick curl into him. “You can’t control what you feel, and I know you hate that, but it’s nothing you need to apologize for.”

“I know. I meant that I am sorry for what I said earlier, about you not wanting to make an effort to get the license. I was just...I was overreacting.”

David bends his head and smiles into Patrick’s hair. He loves this man so much.

“I would climb a mountain for you,” he replies quietly.

“I know. You kind of already did,” Patrick chuckles, recalling their engagement hike.

The elevator chooses that moment to come to life, clanking loudly as the lights slowly flicker back on. The elevator begins to ascend again, and David breathes a sigh of relief. He begins to pull back, but Patrick’s arms tighten around his waist, and he keeps his head buried in David’s shoulder. David runs a reassuring hand up and down his back and brushes a kiss to the top of his head.

The elevator comes to a stop, and the doors slide open on the fourth floor. David turns Patrick enough so that they can walk, and guides them out of the elevator. He knows that Patrick’s adrenaline will be quickly draining out of him, so he walks them to a nearby bench, and encourages them to sit.

Now, in the light, it’s easy to see the signs of Patrick’s anxiety attack. He looks exhausted, and a little sweaty, and his eyes are a bit red. Using the arm that is still wrapped around Patrick’s shoulder, David pulls him into a sideways hug.

“I feel so stupid,” Patrick mutters, unable to meet David’s eyes.

“Do you think less of me when I have my panic attacks?” David replies sharply.

“What? No, of course not.”

“Then you have no reason to feel stupid,” David says softly.

“But I’m supposed to be the one who-”

“The one who what? It’s okay to feel scared or nervous or unsure, honey. We don’t have pre-prescribed roles here. I don’t  _ always _ have to be the messy one, you know,” David smirks a bit and Patrick finally looks up at him.

“You are not always the messy one,” Patrick chuckles. After a moment, he sobers and his gaze sharpens. “Are you okay?” he asks, his hand moving to David’s knee.

“I am,” David nods honestly, “I think helping you kind of helped me forget about my own anxieties.”

“Thank you, David, for knowing what I needed, even in the dark,” Patrick smiles softly, “Even when I was being unreasonable.”

“I know you pretty well by now, I think,” David shrugs. “Ready to go get this license?”

“I am,” Patrick smiles, and David pulls them both to their feet.

They take the stairs back down.


End file.
